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NYC Based Donor Conception Info Blog by Sara Axel

About Me

I'm a guy who learned a short time before I was to be married that my lifetime goal of becoming a father was slim if not impossible. But now due to medical science, a donor, and a couple of maxed out credit cards we have two beautiful kids. My name is Eric and I am a DI Dad.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

am New York: For Sale Sperm $100

As soon as I saw the front page of today's "am New York" newspaper I wondered what my children will think when they see images like this? The article discusses how in these hard economic times the number of individuals interested in donating for money has risen.

Back to my kids I wonder whether my kids will think, their donor, their biological father, simply donated to make a buck? How will that thought affect them.

7 comments:

Well, I'm pretty certain that is the underlying reason our donor donated. He was a student and he did have a nice blurb about wanting to help a couple that couldn't have children realize their dream of a family. While I would love to believe that was his main motivation I'm sure if there wasn't compensation he probably wouldn't have done it. That being said I don't things like this will make my child feel warm and fuzzy about his conception.

I agree with Damian - the idea of being "sold" in the first place is the most disturbing.

My biological father most likely also donated for money, probably as a senior in college and medical/graduate student for seven years. However, most of these men are not counseled on the consequences of their donations, and even if he was a medical student, sperm becomes so medicinalized and the conceptualization of procreating to a 21 year old male, it's possible that he didn't even realize what it entitled.

Maybe I'm trying to rationalize his behavior, but I can't help to wonder what his motivations were.....

I was bought and sold as a commodity before I was born. Now, 29 years into the arrangement, I think I got the better end of the deal.

He got cash, my parents got a kid, I got to be me. See, I profited from all of their actions, regardless of their motivations. Go me. Raise your kids with a good perspective on life, that someone always has it worse and that we're all lucky to be alive for another day.

Also, Eric, I broached the subject of donor conception with my sister today. For the most part, she agrees with me, that it's actually pretty awesome to be born this way.

The situation is different here in the UK - as the most you can claim is £250 for ten donations - which actually works out to at least 12 visits to the clinic when you include the initial assessment and final blood screening. I 'lost money' after taking time off work etc.

I hope you don't mind me posting :) Reading a different perspective helped me make my mind up to donate - so thank you!

2014 New: Donor Conception Postcard Project

A new project to create a visual story of donor conception using postcards and the images and issues addressed on each card received.

SIDEBAR LINKS OUT OF DATE

My apologies for not keeping this blog up to date. Many of the links below in this side bar are horribly out of date and to be honest I have no idea when I will get to updating them. Use them as a resource knowing they are incomplete. Regards, Eric

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